Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-11-06

chamber occupied by her ladyship and the
dressing room in which the maid slept
previous to her departure for England
Beyond these were the dining and recep.
ton rooms, opening into an ante chamber,
which gave access to the grand staircase o.
the palace.
THE only inhabited rooms on theseconG
floor were the sitting room and the bed
room occupied by Baron Rivsr, and an
other room at some distance from it, which
had been the bed room of the courier,
Ferrari.
The rooms on the third floor and oH
the basement were completely unfurnished,
and in q condition Of great neglect. We
inquired if there was anything to be seen
below the baSement-and we were at once
informed that there were vaults beneath
which we were at perfect liberty to visit.
I'VE went down. so as to leave no part
Of the palace UNEMPLOYED. The vaults
were, it was believed, used as dungeons in
the old times-say some centuries since.
Air and light were only partially admitted
to these dismal places by two long shafts
Of winding construction, which commune
Gated with the back yard Of the place, and
the openings of which, high above the
ground, were protected by iron gratings.
The stone stairs leading down into the
vaults could be closed at will by a heavy
trap door in the back ball, which VI fOund
open. The baron himself led the way
down the stairs. We remarked that it
might be awkward if that trap door fell
down and closed the opening behind rs.
The baron smiled at the idea. Don't be
alarmed, gentlemen he said: the door is
safe. / had an interest in seeing to it my
self, when we first inhabited the place.
My fayorite study is the study of expert
mental chemistry-and my workshop,
since we have been in Venice, is down
here
These last words explained a curious
smell in the vaults, which we noticed the
moment we entered them. We can only
describe the smell by saying that it wa OF
q twofold sOrt-faintly aromatic, AZ it were,
in its tirst effect, hut with some after Odor
very s~ickeGingin our nOStrils. The baron's
furnaces and ~retorts, and other things,
were all there to speak for themselves, to.
gether with sOme packages Of chemicals,
having the name and address of the person
who had supplied them plainly visible on
study Baron Riyar observed, but my
sister is tlmid. She has a horror Of
chemical smells and explosiOns-and she
has banished me TO these lower regions, &c
that my experiments may neither be smell
ell nor heard He held out his hands, on
which we had noticed that he wore gloves
in the house. Accidents will happen some,
times he said, no matter how careful q
man may be. / burned my hands severely
in trying a new combination the other day,
and they are only recovering now
I'VE mention these otherwise unimpOr,
tant incidents in order TO show that OF
exploration of the palace was not impeded
by any attempt at cOncealment. We were
even admitted to her ladyShip's " room
on q subsequent occasion, when she went
out 10 take the air. Our instructions re-
commended us to examine his lOrdship'S
residence, because the extreme privacy OF
his life at Venice and the remarkable de
paTture of the only two servants in the
house, might have some suspicious con
nection with the nature of his death. We
found nothing to Justify suspicion.
As to his lordship's retired way or life,
we have conversed on the subject with the
consul aud banker-the only W. stranger:
who held any communication with him,
He called Ouce at the bank to obtain money
on his letter Of credit, md excused himselj
from accepting an invitation of visiting
the banker at his private residence on the
ground OF delicate health Ills 3Ordship
wrote TO the same effect on sending his card
to the consul, to excuse himself from per
sonally returning that gentleman's visit to
the palace. We have seen the letter, and
We beg to offer the following copy of it,
Many years passed in India have injured
nv constitution. | have ceased to 90 into
society; the one occupation of my life nov
is the study of Oriental literature. The
air of Italy is better for me than the air Of
England, or | never should have left home,
Pray accept the apologies of student and
an invalid. The active part of my life il
at au end The self secluSiOn OF his lord
ship seems to us to be explained in these
brief lines. We have not, however, or
that account, spared cur inquiries in Othel
directions. Nothing TO excite a suspicion
of anything wrong has come to ou1
knowledge.
"As TO the departure of the lady's
maid, we have seen the wOman'S
receipt for her wages, in which it Is ex'
pressly stated that she left Lady Montbar
rvs service because she disliked the con
tinent and wished to get back to her OWL
country. This is not an uncommon result
of taking English servants to foreign parts
Lady MOntbarry has informed us that she
abstained from engaging another maid II
consequence of the extreme dislike which
his lordship expressed to having strangers
in the house in the state OF his health al
that time.
The disappearance of the courier Fer
rari is, in itself, uuquestionably a sus
picious circumstance. Neither her lady
ship nor the baron can explain it, and nc
Investigation that we could make has
thrown the smallest light on this event, OF
has justified us in associating it, either di
rectiy or indirectly, with the object OF oul
inquiry. We have even gone the length o
examining the ~portmanteau which Ferrar'
left behind him. 1t contains nothing buj
clothes aud liuen-nO money, and noteVer
a scrap of paper in the pockets OF thu
clothes. The pOrtmanteau remains II
charge of the police.
I'VE have also found opportunities o
speaking privately with the old woman
who attends to the rooms occupied by be-
ladyship and the baron. She was recon-
mended to nil this position by the keepe1
of the restaurant who has supplied tn,
meals 10 the family throughout the perioc
of their residence at the palace. he
character is most ~fayorsbly spoken OF
Unfortunately, her limited intelligence
makes her of no value ~ a witness. W.
were patient and careful in questioning
her. and we found her perfectly willing Il
answer US; but we could elicit nothing
which is worth including in the presen
report.
ION the second day OF our inquiries WI
had the honor of an interview with Lsd.
Montbarry. Her ladyship looked mlserabil
worn and i'll, and seemed to be quite at
Ioss 10 understand what we wanted wit
her Baron Riyar, who introduced US, ex
-l,;na5 the nature of orr errand in Venice